Quarter 3 Top Wines

Well July, August and September was one of the top reviewing periods of my career. So many good wines with many top 10 of the year candidates. Here you go:

• 2021 Abbott Claim Chardonnay Temperance Hill Vineyard – USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola – Amity Hills (9/9/2025)
  Day 1: WOW! This is off the charts. Matchstick, flint, lemon, spice, sour apple, orange peel, crushed shells and subtle wood. I am not sure if other drinkers think this is going to be a Napa Chardonnay but these are about as close to Burgundy as you will get other than maybe Morgan Long. 96 points
  Day 2: Vibrant wine and briming with massive flavors featuring matchstick, spice, sour apple, lemon, chalk, minerals, crushed shells and subtle wood. A Grand Cru Chablis but with more intensity. 96.5 points
  Day 3: Wow and wow! Matchstick, minerals, lemon, spice, crushed shells, wood, dust, lime, sour apples and burnt toast. Super complex wine and I need more! 97 points
  Recommendation: Run and get this wine as it is amazing. The winery served this on my visit on day 3 and it is exactly as I remember from July. (97 points)
• 2021 Abbott Claim Chardonnay Temperance Hill Vineyard – USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola – Amity Hills (7/10/2025)
  Abbott Claim (3 day wines) Off the Charts!!! (Abbott Claim Winery): Well half a point lower than the 2022 eola amity. Let me tell the 3 best wines I have ever tasted in a row. Who pours their Chardonnay’s second? Abbott Claim. Carmel, oak, stone, apricots, dust, apple and exotic spices. LONG finish and super complex. Wow, wow and wow!!! (97 points)
• 2022 Abbott Claim Chardonnay – USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola – Amity Hills (7/10/2025)
  Abbott Claim (3 day wines) Off the Charts!!! (Abbott Claim Winery): Let me talk to you! This is one of those once or twice a year wines that get your attention. This is top five wines of the year for sure and maybe one! Bought 4 bottles at the winery.
  Electric wine! 1,100 to 1,200 elevation with lemon, Carmel, spice, oak, stone, sour apple and minerals. Hard to describe the level on this but might be the best nose on a wine in 15 years for me. An absolute bargain at $100 a bottle. New French oak for 12 months and about 6 after that in stainless.
  For sure a top 10 wine maybe of all time!!! 97.9 but not quite 98. (97 points)
• 2023 Morgen Long Chardonnay Eyrie – USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills (7/8/2025)
  2023 Morgen Long Chardonnay Tasting (Morgen Long Winery, Willamette Valley): Diam 10. 50 six packs produced. Mind blowing wine and tasted on day 7!!! A little bit left that Seth saved me for my visit today. $299 a bottle and one of the best Chardonnays from the US I have ever tasted. Oak, saline, minerals, earth, dust, white flowers, stone and lemon. Super concentrated wine and nice acidity. This should age for 15 plus years. Outstanding!!! (97 points)
• 2019 Reynvaan Family Vineyards Syrah In the Hills – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley (7/3/2025)
  Day 1: Excellent wine and no surprise as In the Hills & In the Rocks are their best wines. Savory wine with green olives, stone, blue currants, dust, earth, violets and tar. Super complex wine and long finish. Drinking great young but see this going 15 plus. 95 points
  Day 2: Very elegant wine and showing rocks, green olives, white pepper, blueberries, strawberries, dust, violets, earth, minerals and tar. Super tasty wine and hats off to Matt and the team for making some of the best Syrah’s in the US/World for the money. 95 points
  Day 4: Reward for patience. This is wine of the year candidate for the money. So elegant featuring green olives, perfume, white pepper, minerals, stone, blueberries, cherry and tar. As good as this was on day 1 and 2 way better on day 4. 97 points (97 points)
• 2021 The Standish Wine Company Shiraz The Standish – Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley (9/16/2025)
  Epicurean & Forziati Wine Imports Aussie Tasting (Minneapolis, MN): Ok top 10 wine of the year candidate. At an industry event there was half a bottle left at the end of the event. Hard to believe but here is the review. Black pepper, plum, dust, minerals, smoked meats, charcoal, spice and black currants. Super concentrated wine and long finish. Brings back memories. Absolute stunner. 96.5 points (96 points)
• 2014 Result of a Crush Red Wine – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley (7/12/2025)
  4 Blind Syrah’s/Shiraz (Results Impress); 7/11/2025-7/12/2025 (Seattle, Washington (Brother’s House)): Tasted blind and again I have said these wines get lower scores because of price. This beat 2010 Reynvaan in the rocks and the 2022 Mark Ryan Wild Eyed. Rocks, green olives, white pepper, green pepper, dust, stone and red currants. Off the charts and excellent wine. Long finish. (96 points)
• 2012 Dominus Estate – USA, California, Napa Valley (7/4/2025)
  4th of July Stellar Wines (My House): While young this is showing some great long term promise. Decanted about 1.5 hours but could have used a bit more. Bordeaux like with cigar, cherry, bell pepper, oak, minerals, floral and gravel. Medium to long finish. Super complex wine and would decant minimum of 5 hours. 96 points
  Group and my wine of the night. (96 points)